The decision to extend the public funding of Roman Catholic schools to include grades 11 through 13 carries with it both minor and major implications for the finance and organization of elementary and secondary education in Ontrario. If the school grant plan is to be successfully adopted, the following issues need immediate attention: (1) the definition of separate and public ratepayers; (2) the level of funding for grades 9 and 10 in the separate schools; (3) the adequacy and impact of grants for small schools and school boards; and (4) the short-term implementation costs as they relate to the exchange of staff, students, buildings, and other capital assets between boards. Major implications of this decision include the following points: (1) the long-term effects of the technical details of how education is financed can be substantial; (2) policymakers should therefore act knowingly; (3) policymakers should move with restraint, evaluating the effects of decisions as change occurs; and (4) policymakers must be concerned with the extent to which the economic prosperity of the Golden Horseshoe area of Ontario is utilized, for this might endanger the area's ability to drive the economy of Ontario and Canada. (DCS)

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